Container



O 1967 I R. A. PALLE, SR., ETAL 3,346,169

CONTAINER Filed April 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 52 Q E Q K? INVENTORS 7 g '4 ROBERTA. PALLE'SR. Q l5 ALICE F'. PALLE' ROBERT A. PALLE'JR.

Oct. 10, 1967 R. A. PALl E, sR, ETAL 9 CONTAINER Filed April 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8.

iNVENTORS ROBERTA. PALLBSR ALICE/T PALLE- ROBERTA. PALLE; JR.

F/6.6 BY

United States Patent 3,346,169 CONTAINER Robert A. Palie, Sr., Alice F. Palle, and Robert A. Palle, Jr., all of 4500 Tapscott Road, Pikesville, Md. 21208 Filed Apr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 544,888

I 3 Claims. (Cl. 22937) The present invention relates to containers; and more particularly to containers of the carton type such as are commonly made of cardboard, fiberboard, corrugated cardboard or other suitable substantially rigid sheet material.

The general type of container with which We are concerned is one which may be readily formed from a single blank stamped from a sheet of the selected material by a single stamping operation and which maythen be formed by simple bending steps into a container or carton. Many containers or cartons have heretofore been produced by the steps above described, but have certain disadvantages, such as excessive waste of material in the stamping of the blanks or in structural weakness in the finished assembled or set up container.

It is one object of this invention, therefore, to shape the blank from which the container is formed of simple substantially rectangular configuration, devoid of large projecting portions, so that the sheet of material from which the blanks are stamped may be most economically used. It is evident that the rectangular shape of the blank will make it possible to stamp each succeeding blank closely adjacent to its predecessor on the sheet with little or no material therebetween going to waste.

A further object is to produce a container of superior strength or one which has a double thickness of the sheet material throughout all six of its wall when in its final closed condition.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the following description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings f0rming a part of this specification, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the fiat blank from which the container is formed;

FIGURE A-1 is a perspective view of the folded blank;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the same in partially assembled form;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view simlar to FIGURE '2 but looking from a direction opposite to FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 2 with certain of the side panels in different extended positions;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 4 but with certain side panels in final position and others in extended position as might appear when the container is in condition for filling; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the container in its final closed condition;

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of FIG- URE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of FIG- UR'E 6.

Referring to FIGURE 1 it can be seen that the blank from which the container is formed is of simple rectangular shape which makes for economy of manufacture as each blank can be positioned substantially contiguous with the next adjacent blank as it is stamped from a large sheet of stock material. The blank is divided into twelve rectangular areas bearing reference numerals 10 to 21 inclusive and are defined by cuts and fold lines as will hereinafter be explained.

The horizontal central area of the blank as viewed in FIGURE 1, is defined by panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 which are connected by fold or hinge lines 30, 31 and 32 respectively. Above the horizontal central area define-d by panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 is an upper area of equal extent defined by panels 14, 15, 16 and 17, and below the central area is a third area defined by panels 18, 19, 20 and 21.

Panel 14 is connected to its adjacent panels 10 and 15 by fold lines 33 and 34 respectively, and panel 17 is connected to its adjacent panels 13 and 16 by fold lines 35 and 36 respectively. Panels 15 and 16 are separated from each other and from adjacent panels 11 and 12 by cuts 50, 51 and 52 respectively.

Panel 19 is connected to its adjacent panels 11 and 18 by fold lines 37 and 38 respectively and panel 20 is connected to its adjacent panels 12 and 21 by fold lines 39 and 40 respectively. Panels 19 and 20 are separated from each other by cut 53 and panels 18 and 21 are separated from adjacent panels 10 and 13 by cuts 54 and 55 respectively.

The end panel 13 may optionally be provided with a tab 22 joined to the panel 13 by a fold line 41, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

In setting up the container from the blank, the same is bent on fold lines 30, 31 and 32 to position the panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 at right angles to each other, thereby forming, in eifect, a tube of rectangular configuration or a rectangular parallelopiped as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The container thus far assembled may then be secured by bending flap 22 on fold line 41 against the side surface of panel 10 and securing the same thereto as by adhesive, staples, or other suitable fastening means (not shown). It is to be understood that the flap 22 is shown by way of example only, as it is evident that other means such as adhesive tape or the like (not shown) positioned and applied to overlie the side surfaces of panels 10 and 13 adjacent their contiguous edges may be employed in lieu thereof.

To close the lower open end of the tube formed by panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 the panel 19 is bent inwardly and upwardly on fold line 27 as indicated by directional arrow A, FIGURE 4, and the panel 20 is bent inwardly and upwardly on fold line 39 as indicated by directional arrow B, FIGURE 4. The panels 19 and 20 will then overlie each other and are secured together face to face by any suitable means, for example, adhesive, staples or any equivalent fastening means. The panel 18 will then overlie panel 10 and panel 21 will overlie panel 13 and they are likewise secured together by any well known means as above described. This will result in the con tainer as shown in FIGURE 5 with its bottom and sides closed and its top open in condition to be filled or receive its intended contents.

After filling, the top is closed by steps similar to those above described for closing the bottom, that is, panels 14 and 17 are bent downwardly and inwardly on fold lines 33 and 35 respectively to overlie each other and close the open top area. This will bring panels 15 and 16 in positions to overlie panels 11 and 12 respectively, whereupon these overlying panels may be secured together by any suitable means as above described. The final closed container appears as is shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawing.

It is evident that a container made in accordance with this invention, as above described, offers decided advantages in the simplicity of the blank stamping operation, in economy of the stock sheet material from which the blanks are stamped and in the ease of setting up the container from the blank. Additionally, the finished and closed container offers the quality of superior strength over many containers now in use, as all of its six walls 3 v are of double thickness material as illustrated in FIG- UR'ES 7 and 8.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that it should not be limited to specific structure shown and described; and it is the intention to cover hereby all novel adaptations, arrangements and modifications thereof which come Within the practice of those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and as defined by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A container comprising a set of four rectangular panels each connected to its adjacent panels on two opposite parallel edges and forming a rectangular tube with open ends, two side panels of said tube having a first air of rectangular panels hinged thereto on edges at right angles to the first mentioned edges, and at one end of the tube and folded to lie in face to face contact with each other and close one open end of the tube, a second pair of rectangular panels hinged to the first pair on edges at right angles to the first mentioned hinge edges of the first pair and folded to overlie two panels of said tube, a third pair of rectangular panels hinged to the other two side panels of said tube on edges of said panels at the opposite end of the tube from said first pair and folded to lie in face to face contact with each other and close the opposite open end of said tube, and a fourth pair of rectangular panels hinged to the third pair on edges at right angles to the first mentioned hinge edges of the third pair and folded to overlie the remaining two side panels of said tube; and means to fasten all panels in said positions.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 in which all the rectangular panels are squares of equal size whereby all 4 six side walls of the container when in fully closed position are walls of double thickness.

3. A container comprising a main body portion in the form of a hollow rectangular parallelopiped with opposite open ends, two adjacent sides of said parallelopiped having a first pair of panels each integral with one of said adjacent sides and extending at right angles thereto and overlying each other and closing one of said open ends, a second pair of panels eac-h integral with one of said first pair of panels, extending at right angles to said first pair of panels, and overlying two adjacent sides of said hollow rectangular parallclopiped, the other two adjacent sides of said parallelopiped having a third pair of panels each integral with one of said other two adjacent sides and extending at right angles thereto and overlying each other and closing the other of said open ends, and a fourth pair of panels each integral with one of said third pair of panels, extending at right angles to said third pair and overlying the other two adjacent sides of said hollow rectangular parallelopiped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 930,114 8/ 1909 Adams. 1,211,857 1/1917 Johnson 22937 X 1,559,834 11/1925 Zalkind 22937 1,994,541 3/1935 Spiking 229---16 X 2,702,662 2/ 1955 Crawford 22916 3,114,494 12/ 1963 Wasyluka 22937 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A SET OF FOUR RECTANGULAR PANELS EACH CONNECTED TO ITS ADJACENT PANELS ON TWO OPPOSITE PARALLEL EDGES AND FORMING A RECTANGULAR TUBE WITH OPEN ENDS, TWO SIDE PANELS OF SAID TUBE HAVING A FIRST PAIR OF RECTANGULAR PANELS HINGED THERETO ON EDGES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRST MENTIONED EDGES, AND AT ONE END OF THE TUBE AND FOLDED TO LIE IN FACE TO FACE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND CLOSE ONE OPEN END OF THE TUBE, A SECOND PAIR OF RECTANGULAR PANELS HINGED TO THE FIRST PAIR ON EDGES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRST MENTIONED HINGE EDGES OF THE FIRST PAIR AND FOLDED TO OVERLIE TWO PANELS OF SAID TUBE, A THIRD PAIR OF RECTANGULAR PANELS HINGED TO THE OTHER TWO SIDE PANELS OF SAID TUBE ON EDGES OF SAID PANELS AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE TUBE FROM SAID FIRST PAIR AND FOLDED TO LIE IN FACE TO FACE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND CLOSE THE OPPOSITE OPEN END OF SAID TUBE, AND A FOURTH PAIR OF RECTANGULAR PANELS HINGED TO THE THIRD PAIR ON EDGES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRST MENTIONED HINGED EDGES OF THE THIRD PAIR AND FOLDED TO OVERLIE THE REMAINING TWO SAID PANELS OF SAID TUBE; AND MEANS TO FASTEN ALL PANELS IN SAID POSITIONS. 